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Board approves closure of Desert Sage Academy; students to move to ECO program for 2025–26
Summary
The Santa Fe Public Schools board voted to close Desert Sage Academy and transition its remaining students and services into the Early College Opportunities (ECO) program for the 2025–26 school year, while staff will be reassigned and the district will submit a transition plan to the Public Education Department.
The Board of Education of Santa Fe Public Schools voted Tuesday to close Desert Sage Academy (DSA) and transition remaining students to the district’s Early College Opportunities (ECO) program for the 2025–26 school year.
Board President Mikaela Abeyta called for the motion and the board carried the item after a brief presentation from staff explaining enrollment and accountability pressures at the virtual program.
Deputy Superintendent Vanessa Romero and campus leaders told the board that Desert Sage opened during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a fully remote option and at one point enrolled 446 students, but enrollment has since fallen to 52 with a projected six students for next year. Staff said DSA’s four‑year graduation rate has been consistently below the federal minimum of 67 percent and the school has repeatedly failed to meet the state-required 95 percent participation threshold for mandatory assessments, which subjects results to “attenuation” under Every Student Succeeds Act procedures.
The district presented a transition plan that would stop new enrollments at DSA, colocate remaining students and services at ECO for 2025–26, and reassign or redesign remaining DSA staff. Staff said the ECO campus can provide required in‑person testing and support programs that are difficult to deliver in a fully virtual model.
Board member Heffron moved to approve the transition; the motion carried on a voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes. The board instructed staff to prepare the formal transition documents to submit to the New Mexico Public Education Department, a required step for school closure under state rules.
Administration described the plan as a technical step required for PED approval: the board must pass a closure/transition action and provide a detailed transition plan. Staff said a small number of families asked to remain virtual for medical or personal reasons; those students will be offered options, including transfer to their home school or other district programs.
The board discussion noted that some students have already moved to ECO during outreach and that ECO staff ran small in‑person cohorts for academics this year. Trustees praised ECO principal Josh Ryan for outreach and said the ECO program has capacity to absorb most DSA students.
The vote finalizes the board’s direction but the closure is contingent on completing the PED transition process and any statutory notifications.
What happens next: staff will finalize the transition plan and submit it to the Public Education Department. The board and district officials said they expect to reassign remaining staff and either close the program or redesign it for later years depending on need and approval.
